MUSICAL IMPROVISATION
PAGE 4
Examples in creative rhythm variation

 
The next exercise is slightly more complex and again not meant to be copied but to be used as an illustration of  one approach to developing improvising skills. I do believe this is more useful when one has limited learning time than trying to base solos on arpeggios or on copied licks from famous players, (nothing basically wrong in doing either of those things of course and arpeggios still have to be learnt for technique!).The example below uses five notes from a chord or scale as on page 3, but introduces three changes of key/mode/chord. These allow the improvisation to be extended with variety. Like the previous example the notes have been played in from a keyboard without further editing and the score shows no articulation, accents or expression. These you, the improviser, will add naturally in your own personal style and of course with an entirely new set of notes. You may wish to experiment with different mode changes. Note particularly that the 'changes' occur asymmetrically in time, although it turns out (sub-conscious again), that there are exactly 41/2 bars each of Dsharp min and Emin; this was not deliberate.
 

Ex. 4 Five notes
Bflat, C, Eflat,  F and G. These could be from a minor scale, e.g. Dorian, pentatonic or blues, or from a minor seventh or similar chord. When the mode changes, these of course are transposed.


 

Points to Note

There is a good deal of rhythmic variety, hopefully not too haphazardly placed. The 'piece' starts and finishes with crotchets and quavers. Rhythmic tension increases slightly as the harmonic tension increases with mode changes to Dsharp/m and then Em and then subsides as the mode returns to Cm. There are some semiquavers but the rhythm never gets excessively complex and this is intentional. A  feature of the piece is the contrast between march-like crotchets and quaver/semiquaver elements. To play an exercise like this in one take, one would need to practice and be familiar with the chosen scale elements in the various modes - a good preparatory exercise
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One should not make too much of analysis, but it will increase awareness of what one is about and the important thing is that there are some musical features and a degree of structure. There is a great deal to be said for starting simply and in a relaxed fashion and building up tension before easing up to finish, and the rise and fall of tension can be made in different ways. This is not the only way and in a group one may wish to pick up the tension created by the previous soloist. On the other hand, a sudden drop of volume by all the rhythm-section with the solo piano coming in or a very quiet long note on a soprano sax after a noisy brass solo is most effective.
 

 
*Note:
1.To paste from score into html: Press Alt+shift+Print Screen to make a screen shot copy to clipboard. Paste to Paintshop Pro or other similar application, select required part of image, copy and paste to new image window, resize if necessary, save as gif using 2-bit colour.
 
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